Archive - Jan 2010
January 21st
FERRISBURGH — The Ferrisburgh Central School board has adopted a $3.05 million spending proposal for the upcoming school year that includes a major increase, one that is being driven by the first year of payments on last summer’s $1.5 million school upgrade project.
In all, the increase is about $190,400, or 6.66 percent, over current spending.
Of that, $130,000 will go toward making bond payments. That amount alone would boost FCS spending by 4.55 percent, if voters approve the board’s proposal on Town Meeting Day.
MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — Gov. Jim Douglas on Tuesday laid out an austere budget for the next fiscal year, saying the state must close a $150 million money gap by taking such steps as: more than quadrupling deductibles paid by some public healthcare beneficiaries, trimming payments to human services providers, and reducing subsidies to help middle-income Vermonters pay school property taxes.
BRIDPORT — When Annette Franklin heard about last week’s devastating earthquake in Haiti, her first thoughts flew to the orphanage in the hills above Petionville and the little girl, just 2 years old, she held in her arms last summer.
The girl’s name is Gedeleine, and the 2-year-old is one of 160 orphans at God’s Littlest Angels, an independent, nondenominational orphanage in poverty-stricken Haiti. Since December of 2008, Annette and Tim Franklin, and their four children, have been looking forward to welcoming the child into their Bridport home.
MONTPELIER — The victim in a 2007 voyeurism case at Middlebury College urged the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday to strengthen state laws in cases where someone records images of a person’s private areas or sexual conduct without having first secured that person’s permission.
At issue is bill S.218, sponsored by state Sen. Claire Ayer, D-Weybridge, on behalf of a Middlebury College graduate of the class of 2007.
BRISTOL — Board members at Mount Abraham Union High School on Tuesday gave their OK to a brewing plan that would let students from Mount Abe and Vergennes Union High School suit up next fall for a cooperative football team.
If the agreement wins approval from the Vermont Principals’ Association, the body that governs cooperative sports agreements, students from the two schools could suit up on a single team.
If that comes to pass, the plan would be reviewed annually by both high schools, and either school could choose each year to opt out of the agreement.
VERGENNES — Although the face value of the Vergennes Union Elementary School budget will look bigger, residents of Vergennes, Panton on Waltham will be asked on Town Meeting Day this year to approve a little less elementary school spending than in 2009.
That’s because the 2010-2011 VUES budget will include money previously voted on separately in the three union towns’ ID board (essentially elementary school board) budgets.
That the thrust of Gov. James Douglas’ final budget address was to cut spending was no surprise. But that he chose to raise property taxes on middle-income Vermonters while seeking tax reductions for the richest Vermonters seems out-of-sync with the state and the times. Add that he continues to throw money at roads and bridges and put a greater burden on the property tax and you have ample cause for a difference of opinion on how to make up for the projected $154 million shortfall in next year’s spending plan.
MIDDLEBURY — The hard work put in by the young Middlebury Union High School gymnastics team paid off on Monday with the Tigers’ first win in at least two years and probably longer. The score was 115.40-101.675 over U-32 at the Middlebury Union Middle School gym.
Junior Rosalie Wright-Lapin sparked the Tigers’ victory by winning all four events and the all-around title, while classmate Bronwyn Worrick was second twice, third twice and a close third in the all-around race.
